Tube amp build (s)

[Simon Barden]

OK I see what you mean. My faulty interpretation. Grommets, not caps. Suddenly it all makes sense.

I just find it weird that the OT isn’t even shown in a dotted outline (or similar) though.

[Simon Barden]

I think I'd add a couple of sockets so that the 4 ohm tap could be used as well. If you want to make it an 'authentic' Vibro Champ, then it should be a 4 ohm speaker

[JohnH]

Yeah I agree Simon, multiple OT taps are definitely more useful. I'm pretty sure I saw a vibrochamp OT with 4, 8 and 16 Ohm taps, but didn't bookmark it. I'll have a proper look once I start buying parts/planning.

I got the 18W build all wired up, mostly. I ran out of heat shrink, and also realised I didn't actually have a 240V indicator after all that, so I've ordered those but it means I haven't wired the power switch, IEC socket or OT/speaker jacks.

I've gone through it twice against the layout, and once against a schematic with a highlighter. It seems ok, but I'll wait a week and go back through it with fresh eyes (and will also double check solder joins and look for stray whiskers of wire I may have missed)

Interested to see how it goes, as I don't think I've done the best job at getting short wire runs which are also routed most appropriately.

[Marcel]

Nice work... Looks awesome....

My only comment/observation - Looks to me that you have used Jaycar hookup wire everywhere. While it is easy to work with it is also NOT rated for many of the higher voltages found in a tube amp, mostly due to the plastic insulation being too thin.... That being the case I'd go find a small roll of 650V rated stranded wire and replace any wire that typically has more than 20VDC on it. Keeping wires apart from each other and the chassis will for the short term have the same effect.

[JohnH]

Good call Marcel, but thankfully its not jaycar wire!

I used this 600V rated wire from tube depot: https://www.tubedepot.com/products/2...de-tefzel-wire

Its nice to use - the insulation doesn't melt when you're soldering

[JohnH]

The indicator light came in the mail yesterday, so I finished the wiring.

Got myself all set up to test voltages tonight - plugged in the variac and light bulb limiter, jewellery off, thick rubber mat down on the floor, voltage charts and schematics out, DMM at the ready, lined up all my tubes aaaaand... I don't have a rectifier tube.

I swear I bought one, so maybe it's just hiding somewhere, but I've ordered one in any case.

Sigh.

On the plus side I also got a vibro champ eyelet board in the mail

[JohnH]

I also decided today that I need a smaller cab for my 5E3. I think I may have mentioned I was thinking about it before, but it's such a great amp it'd be nice to be able to take it to jam with people, but the only cabs I have are the 2 x 12 I built and the Laney 4 x 12. Both are way to heavy to cart around (the 2 x 12 sounds fantastic though).

I have enough ivory tolex left over, so I'm just thinking about speaker options. A 10" speaker would make a cab the same width as the amp head, which could be nice. I think I'll add small legs to it, like the Ibanez tubescreamer I have. It puts the speaker at a nice height, and looks great.

If you haven't seen the tubescreamer before, it is a great little amp. You can check it out here.

(Here's a pic)

[DrNomis_44]

I also decided today that I need a smaller cab for my 5E3. I think I may have mentioned I was thinking about it before, but it's such a great amp it'd be nice to be able to take it to jam with people, but the only cabs I have are the 2 x 12 I built and the Laney 4 x 12. Both are way to heavy to cart around (the 2 x 12 sounds fantastic though).

I have enough ivory tolex left over, so I'm just thinking about speaker options. A 10" speaker would make a cab the same width as the amp head, which could be nice. I think I'll add small legs to it, like the Ibanez tubescreamer I have. It puts the speaker at a nice height, and looks great.

If you haven't seen the tubescreamer before, it is a great little amp. You can check it out here.

(Here's a pic)

I totally love the retro-look of that, really cool, can't wait to hear a demo of your 5E3, looks like I'm going to have to seriously look into building a Tweed 5E3 for myself, cause I love the raw breakup tone you can get from driving them, very bluesy sounding.

[JohnH]

It lives! And, I have to say, it sounds bloody great. I spent an hour noodling around on it, and can see why people like these so much.

I could crank it a bit too as I was home alone, and don't seem to have any hum issues or oscillations.

[Simon Barden]

Hooray and well done! It looks great.

Is a sound demo forthcoming?